Monday, September 13, 2010

dushanbe tea house - boulder, colorado

when i travel, i probably spend as much time researching food as i do attractions. we had several noteworthy meals in boulder, but the most interesting was afternoon tea at dushanbe tea house (you might remember my great affection for this tradition).

the tea house is a quite unique place, as the decor and much of the structure (ceiling and wall panels, etc) was made in their sister city, dushanbe, tajikistan, and shipped as a gift to boulder.

when we arrived, a bit late for our reservation, the tea house was milling with people. there were people already enjoying their afternoon tea, others having a late lunch, and still others just wandering around, touring the beautiful building.

once seated we were introduced to the tea list, and our orders were taken. as we waited, we were presented with an appetizer- a small plate of noodles. they were lightly sauced in what i think may have been tahini (sesame paste). it seemed like a strange prelude to what was to come, but still, it was tasty.

service was a little slow, but eventually we were brought our teapots and then finally our three tiered tray of savories and sweets, accompanied by devonshire cream, lemon curd, and raspberry preserves.

the bottom layer featured puff pastries with artichokes + cheese and lemon scones. the artichoke purses were delicious. neither of us are fans of scones, but it had a nice lemon flavor (especially enhanced after slathering lemon curd and cream on top...). the second layer had cucumber sandwiches and chicken salad sandwiches. the cucumber sandwiches had a very nicely herbed butter slathered on. i couldn't quite figure out what the herbs were, but they really enhanced the simple traditional sandwich. the top contained baklava, lemon layer cake, chocolate cake, and scattered berries.

I love to travel so I can really understanding the appreciation of different decors of buildings. Great post on the tea room I have given decorative wall panels as gift. It is a unique idea that most people don't think of.I love how wall panels are not only practical, but also add a nice touch to a building. No matter what you are leaning toward, it is always a good idea to do more research using McGraw Hill's Sweets Directory. While I do work for them, they honestly offer all the essential information I need for any type of construction product. They are really worth taking the time to research.